Cephalon seeks second use for chemo drug

Drug maker Cephalon has asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve its chemotherapy drug Treanda to treat lymphatic cancer. The application requests approval for patients with lymphatic cancer who have stopped responding to Rituxin, a treatment for arthritis and cancer made by Genentech and Biogen Idec.

The company has submitted three studies that show Treanda has a positive response in lymphatic cancer patients with side effects similar to other chemotherapy drugs. In the US, around 30,000 people are diagnosed with lymphatic cancer each year.

In September, Cephalon submitted an application to the FDA for Treanda as a treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a slowly progressing blood and bone marrow disorder. The FDA is still reviewing the application.